- 20 hours ago
ENG Who’s Stealing My Power
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:11To be continued...
00:30The bill is real. No fraud record.
00:32The system is not malfunctioning either.
00:35Her words hit like cold rain.
00:37So I stripped the condo bare.
00:39I unplugged everything.
00:41Then I hauled everything out.
00:43Anything that used power.
00:45I even stopped charging my phone at home.
00:48I charged it at work.
00:49Funny thing is, I thought that would be enough.
00:52Next month?
00:54Same number.
00:55$5,200.
00:57I've only been working for a few months.
01:00I can hardly afford groceries and gas expenses.
01:02I simply can't handle such a bill.
01:04Power outage warnings come one after another.
01:07Next comes the lawyer's letter.
01:09The pressure is overwhelming.
01:10My parents had to borrow money for me.
01:13Just to help me pay off the electricity bill.
01:15Borrowed from loan sharks.
01:17I tried to sell the apartment.
01:19No one is buying at all.
01:20At that time, everyone had heard about this matter.
01:23Electricity bills that are outrageously insane.
01:25My debts are piling up.
01:27So I turned off the main switch.
01:29In modern US, they lived a life without electricity.
01:32In the third month, when the bill arrived, I almost fainted.
01:35It's still $5,200.
01:38My brother called me a liar.
01:39Is a parasite.
01:41Is an ungrateful thief.
01:42Said I forged bills and wanted to drain my parents' money.
01:45Do you think we're fools?
01:46He roared.
01:47Mom and dad didn't say a single word for me.
01:50The way I look at you is like looking at a stranger.
01:52Then, they kicked me out of the house.
01:55A few months later, the unpaid electricity bills, late fees, and the money I borrowed
01:59from my parents.
02:00The debt has already exceeded six figures.
02:02I can't pay back the money.
02:04They beat me to death.
02:05It's all because of a mysterious electricity bill.
02:08When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the day when my parents bought me an apartment.
02:13Dad stood smiling in front of me.
02:15Do you like it, Willow?
02:17Crying already?
02:18You finally got your own place.
02:20Go check it out.
02:21Enjoy it.
02:22Mom said with a smile.
02:24My finger instantly turned cold.
02:26Memories of the previous life suddenly flooded back into the mind.
02:29Debt.
02:30Fist.
02:30Blood.
02:31I was shaking so violently that I could only lock my knees tightly to stay standing.
02:35Dad, you just helped my brother with a down payment last month and now you're buying
02:39me a condo?
02:40This is too much!
02:45Maybe we should return the house.
02:47Dad blinked.
02:48He said with a laugh.
02:49This isn't Costco.
02:50You can't just return an apartment.
02:53Mom smiled, took the keys from his hand, and pressed them into my palm.
02:57Your brother has one, so you should have one too.
02:59Her tone turned firm.
03:01We treat both our children equally.
03:03It's always been that way.
03:04There's nothing more to say.
03:06She patted my arm.
03:08We have to go.
03:09Hurry and go see your new place.
03:10And with that, they left.
03:12I opened the apartment door.
03:14It was move-in ready.
03:15Brand new floors.
03:16Brand new light fixtures.
03:18Every inch showed signs of money well spent.
03:20They always said...
03:21Buy something by the best.
03:23I searched the entire apartment.
03:25The bedroom.
03:26The bathroom.
03:27The kitchen.
03:28The living room.
03:29No strange machines.
03:31No power-hungry devices.
03:32Nothing that could drain electricity so insanely.
03:35Even if there were, there was no way this place could rack up an astronomical electricity
03:38bill in a single month.
03:40I logged into the power company's app.
03:42The number popped up.
03:43Current usage.
03:44600 kilowatt hours.
03:46My mind buzzed and I froze in place.
03:48This was not normal at all.
03:50The account transfer had been completed less than an hour ago.
03:53And the smart meter had already updated its data.
03:55Yet the electricity usage was already skyrocketing.
03:58No!
03:59That's not possible!
04:00I searched online like a madwoman.
04:03Desperate for any reasonable explanation.
04:05Then I saw a headline.
04:06Homeowner's electricity bill triples.
04:08Neighbor was stealing power.
04:10In that instant, it hit me.
04:12Of course.
04:13In my last life.
04:14I had checked every inch of my apartment and found nothing.
04:17I had even cut the main breaker.
04:19And yet the meter kept running.
04:20If someone had tapped into my wiring from somewhere else, it would explain everything.
04:25I called an emergency electrician immediately.
04:27I need you to come by my apartment.
04:29I told him to inspect every line connected to my apartment.
04:32He fell silent for a few seconds.
04:35Ma'am, that's a big job.
04:37It won't be cheap.
04:39You sure?
04:40I checked my bank account.
04:42Only a thousand dollars, not even enough for the emergency call-out fee.
04:46So I borrowed everything I could.
04:48Credit cards.
04:49Personal loans.
04:50Whatever it took to get the money.
04:52I had to get the best electrician.
04:54And I needed them right now.
04:55He started a full inspection, going over every single spot.
04:59When the inspection ended, my heart shot straight into my throat.
05:02He looked at me, his expression turning grave.
05:08Miss, from what I can see, no one's tapping your line from outside.
05:12But I can tell you this.
05:13They are tapping it from inside.
05:15My eyes widened.
05:17Impossible.
05:18In my last life, I had cleared out every appliance.
05:21There was nothing in the apartment that could consume power.
05:24In this life, I hadn't even emptied it yet.
05:27The only things inside were basic appliances, the fridge, the washing machine, a few lamps.
05:32There was no way these could use up 600 kilowatt hours in just a few hours.
05:36The electrician looked at me helplessly.
05:40Ma'am, I can't explain it either.
05:43Contact the power company again.
05:45Maybe they can dig deeper.
05:46After he left, I slid down to the floor.
05:49Cold tiles.
05:51Surging panic.
05:52In my last life, I had already been through this entire process.
05:56I contacted the power company, the municipal housing office, the fire inspector, even the police.
06:02Everyone came to check, but no one found anything wrong.
06:05Suddenly, there was a burst of rapid knocking.
06:08Three hard knocks.
06:10I opened the door.
06:11My brother stood there.
06:13He scanned my new apartment, and I saw it on his face, jealousy.
06:17Well, look at you.
06:18He said.
06:19Finally one-upped me.
06:21His mouth twisted.
06:23I'm still paying off my mortgage.
06:25And mom and dad bought this place for you outright.
06:29You must be absolutely thrilled.
06:32I forced a thin smile.
06:33Thrilled?
06:34No.
06:34I just felt sick.
06:36Mom and dad always said they treated us equally.
06:39That was their mantra.
06:40But the better things always went to my brother.
06:43This time, I finally got the better treatment, and it was going to push me straight over the edge.
06:48I slammed the door shut with all my strength.
06:51I turned back to look at my phone.
06:53The electricity usage was still soaring at a terrifying speed.
06:57Anger.
06:58Shame.
06:59Heartbreak.
07:00And finally, that helpless panic that made my scalp prickle and tingle.
07:04I stood up, grabbed a hammer, and started swinging wildly.
07:08I smashed at this apartment as if it had betrayed me.
07:11One strike.
07:12Another.
07:13A dozen more.
07:14The electrician said the power drain was coming from inside my apartment.
07:18Fine.
07:19Then I would tear this place to pieces until I found the answer.
07:22Tiles shattered.
07:23Floorboard split.
07:25Glass burst.
07:26Debris flew at me, some cutting my hands, but I barely felt a thing.
07:30I kept swinging.
07:31Gasping for breath.
07:32I pulled out my phone.
07:34Surely, I would have found it by now.
07:36There was almost nothing left in the apartment.
07:38But my heart sank in an instant.
07:40Power usage.
07:413,500 kilowatt hours.
07:44I stared at the screen, then looked at the wreckage around me.
07:47No, impossible.
07:48My voice was weak and feeble.
07:50The place was already destroyed, yet the number kept climbing.
07:53My eyes burned hot.
07:55This is impossible.
07:57I called in a demolition crew, the kind you pay to tear a place apart, no questions asked.
08:02If the secret wasn't in the appliances, maybe it was in the walls.
08:06They worked all day, knocking down every single partition wall.
08:10By sunset, the apartment had been stripped down to its bare bones.
08:13Nothing left but the four load-bearing walls and the ruined floors.
08:16I stood in the middle of the rubble, covered in dust, trembling.
08:20This was it.
08:21There was no way anything could be consuming power now.
08:24Absolutely nothing.
08:25I wiped the blood and dust off my phone and lobbed into the app again.
08:28The moment the page loaded, a chill shot from my spine straight to the top of my head.
08:32The number was still soaring, fast, absurdly fast.
08:36In an empty apartment, I forgot how to breathe.
08:39Because whatever was draining the power insanely, was still here.
08:44This time, I wasn't the only one stunned.
08:47Even the demolition crew froze.
08:49One by one, they took my phone, looked at the screen, then looked at the empty room, then back at
08:54the screen.
08:55Mom, that's impossible.
09:00One of them glanced around the gutted apartment and lowered his voice.
09:04Ma'am, your place isn't haunted, is it?
09:07They shoved the phone back into my hand and bolted, fast, as if the place were contagious.
09:12I stood alone in the hollowed-out apartment.
09:15Dust everywhere, bare walls, and a power bill that would never stop climbing.
09:20I had never believed in ghosts or spirits.
09:23But standing there, watching an empty house drain electricity by the second, I could no longer find a scientific explanation.
09:30I knew all too well what would happen next if I didn't stop this.
09:33Debt collectors.
09:35Lone sharks.
09:36The same brutal ending as my last life.
09:38Someone knocked on the door.
09:40I opened the door.
09:41My parents were standing there with grocery bags.
09:44Hey, sweetheart.
09:47Work's been crazy.
09:48We wanted to come by sooner.
09:50So, how's the new place?
09:53You settling in okay?
09:54I laughed once.
09:55Dry and empty.
09:56I didn't answer.
09:58Then both of them went still.
10:00My dad rushed inside.
10:01He stared at the wreckage like he'd walked into a war zone.
10:05Honey, what happened?
10:06His voice cracked.
10:07This place was fully remodeled.
10:09Why does it look stripped to the steds?
10:11I handed them my phone.
10:12They read the screen.
10:14Dad's face went pale.
10:15Then red.
10:16He kicked over a broken stool so hard it skidded across the floor.
10:20That lying realtor!
10:22How could they do this to you?
10:24He turned to me, already fired up.
10:26Don't panic.
10:27I'll go after them myself.
10:30I'll go after them myself.
10:31They'll make this right.
10:33They'll give you another unit.
10:34My mom didn't say much.
10:36She just crouched down and started picking up pieces.
10:38Pieces that used to be part of my home.
10:41She looked so small doing it.
10:42That's when I started crying.
10:44In my last life, I dragged them down with me.
10:47They borrowed money they never should have touched.
10:49They paid for me with their blood.
10:51I wasn't going to let that happen again.
10:53Not this time.
10:54I walked into the bedroom.
10:55Or what was left of it.
10:57From under the broken desk, I found a sheet of paper.
11:00Then a pen.
11:01I started writing a will.
11:02If I couldn't figure this out.
11:04Then when I died, the condo would be donated automatically.
11:07Gone.
11:08Out of our family.
11:09Whatever bills came after that would die with me.
11:11I was halfway through the page when I saw it.
11:14A wire.
11:14A single electrical wire tucked under the remains.
11:17I stopped breathing for a second.
11:19The bedroom wiring wasn't supposed to run there.
11:21So why was there a wire?
11:23My heart slammed against my ribs.
11:24Is this it?
11:25Was this the thing behind the crazy bill?
11:27I crouched down and grabbed it.
11:29Then I pulled.
11:30The wire slid out a little.
11:31But no matter how much I pulled, it didn't end.
11:34I frowned.
11:35Willow, what are you doing?
11:37Mom's voice came from behind me.
11:40I whipped around.
11:41She was staring at the wire in my hands.
11:43Her face completely transformed.
11:45All the gentleness was gone.
11:47No warmth.
11:48No concern.
11:49Just a cold, hard expression.
11:51I forced a thin smile.
11:52I was just tidying up the bedroom.
11:54I said.
11:55Just trying to help.
11:57She kept her eyes fixed on me.
11:58Then stepped forward.
12:00Snatched the wire from my hand.
12:01Shoved it back into place.
12:02And pulled me away from the room.
12:07You don't need to do this.
12:09She said.
12:09Her voice eerie called.
12:10I'll take care of it.
12:11Don't worry about it.
12:12You should get some rest.
12:14I tried to slip past her.
12:16I had to see that wire again.
12:18But she was faster.
12:20She blocked my way and seized my arms.
12:22Her hands clamped down like iron vices.
12:24Forcibly dragging me out of the room.
12:26A sharp spike of fear shot through me.
12:28Why was she stopping me?
12:30Why was she covering up that wire?
12:32Why did she look so scared?
12:34Memories from my last life surged back.
12:36Panic took over.
12:38And I wrenched myself free.
12:39I rushed past her.
12:41Grabbed the wire with both hands.
12:43And pulled with everything I had.
12:44The moment the wire came loose.
12:46I saw it clearly.
12:48And I froze completely.
12:49The wire wasn't connected to any machine.
12:52At its end were just a few strings of tiny fairy lights.
12:54And behind the lights.
12:55A gold bracelet tied with a red ribbon.
12:57I froze in place and looked again.
12:59More carefully.
13:00The wire, the floor, the broken desk, the wall behind me.
13:04None of it was connected to anything.
13:06There was nothing.
13:07Just the cheap little lights and that bracelet.
13:09Mom lowered her head.
13:10Her figure suddenly seeming small.
13:13Willow.
13:13She said softly.
13:14This was the housewarming gift your father and I prepared for you.
13:17She glanced quickly at the bracelet.
13:19When we were out shopping you took a liking to a similar one.
13:22So we went back and bought it for you.
13:24Her voice dropped even lower.
13:26We wanted to surprise you.
13:27All at once, the fight drained out of me.
13:30Every ounce of fear turned into shame.
13:32I apologized immediately and sat down in the empty room, staring blankly into space.
13:37I was utterly exhausted.
13:38Outside the window, the sky was darkening.
13:41Lights began flicking on throughout the building, every window glowing with warm light.
13:45Upstairs, someone was watching TV.
13:47I could hear laughter and the sound of a variety show.
13:50That was normal life.
13:51The whole building had electricity.
13:53Only my home lay pitch black and wrecked.
13:55Still saddled with a $5,200 electricity bill every single month.
13:59Why?
13:59There was a noise at the front door.
14:01Dad was back.
14:02His eyes were red.
14:04His voice hoarse.
14:05The realtor says everything was fine at closing.
14:08They say whatever happened after that isn't on them.
14:11He swallowed hard.
14:13I'm sorry, kiddo.
14:15This is on me.
14:15That sentence hit me even harder than the electricity bill.
14:19Dad had always been a man who stood tall and strong.
14:22No matter how hard life got, he never bowed his head.
14:24But now, he looked broken.
14:27His shirt was crumpled, one sleeve torn and misshapen, as if someone had grabbed him and
14:31yanked hard.
14:31Something deep inside me snapped.
14:33I stood up and rushed out.
14:35There was still one last resort.
14:37Just one.
14:38I'd been too afraid to try it because it was reckless, because it might drag others into
14:42my mess.
14:42But I had no choice left.
14:44I ran down to the first floor, straight to the building's electrical room.
14:48Inside was the main breaker for the entire building.
14:51I stood there, breathing hard.
14:53If I cut the power to the whole building and the electricity usage in my apartment still
14:57kept climbing, then it wasn't a wiring fault.
14:59It wasn't a hidden appliance.
15:01It wasn't my problem at all.
15:02I raised the hammer and brought it down with everything I had.
15:05The old iron door caved in with a single hammer blow.
15:08I climbed inside, found the main breaker, and yanked it down.
15:11Inside, cries of alarm echoed from the floors above.
15:15Every light went out.
15:16First floor.
15:17Second floor.
15:18The entire building plunged into darkness.
15:20My hands shook so badly I could barely hold my phone.
15:23I logged into the power company's app.
15:25The moment the page loaded, all the blood in my body rushed to my head.
15:29The electricity usage was still soaring.
15:31No.
15:32I whispered.
15:33This was absolutely impossible.
15:35I stumbled back into the hallway.
15:36The elevator was dead.
15:38Of course it was.
15:39Doors on the first floor began to open.
15:41People stepping out holding their phone flashlights, asking what had happened.
15:45Everyone was saying the same thing.
15:47The whole building had lost power.
15:49But my phone told me the truth.
15:50My apartment was still consuming electricity at a terrifying rate.
15:54Why?
15:54I gripped the stair railing and dragged myself up step by step, slow, numb.
15:58In that moment, I gave up fighting entirely.
16:01I thought I would pack my things, turn myself in for all the destruction I'd caused,
16:05maybe end everything myself before tragedy struck.
16:07But the stairwell was pitch black, and I lost my way between floors.
16:11I knocked on a door.
16:12No answer.
16:13That was when I realized I was one floor below my own.
16:16I shook my head and turned to go up another flight.
16:18Just then, the beam of my phone's flashlight swept across the neighboring apartment.
16:23And in that faint sliver of light, I saw it.
16:25The whole truth.
16:26There was no ghost in my apartment.
16:28No supernatural force.
16:30The truth was far more terrifying than any ghost.
16:32And it was an angle I had never, ever considered.
16:35I stood in the dark hallway and burst out laughing.
16:38I couldn't stop.
16:39In my last life, I had died chasing this truth.
16:42In this life, I had finally found it.
16:45And the truth turned out to be so painfully simple.
16:48An elderly neighbor woman opened her door, holding up a flashlight, squinting at me.
16:55Girl, what are you doing out here?
16:57The whole building's lost power.
16:58Get back inside.
16:59I kept laughing, long, gut-wrenching laughter.
17:02When it finally subsided, I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and straightened my spine.
17:08Auntie, I said, my voice calm but edged with steel.
17:11I'm the one who pulled the main breaker.
17:13I cut the power to the entire building.
17:16Her eyes went wide.
17:17Then she lunged at me, grabbing my shirt and yanking me forward.
17:21You little lunatic!
17:23She shrieked.
17:23How dare you stand there laughing after doing something like this!
17:28She turned toward the hallway and shouted,
17:30Everyone, get out here!
17:32I've caught the one who did it!
17:35The commotion spread instantly.
17:37Doors flew open and people poured out.
17:39A young man pointed at me.
17:41It's her!
17:42She's the one who went crazy over her electric bill and messed up the circuits!
17:46She shut off power to the whole building?
17:49The scene erupted into chaos.
17:51So selfish.
17:52Taking revenge on everyone just because your own bill is high.
17:55Lock her up!
17:57Just as people were pulling out their phones,
17:59mom and dad burst through the crowd and planted themselves firmly in front of me.
18:03Bodies bent, apologizing and pleading non-stop.
18:06Their voices lit with fear.
18:07Sorry, sorry.
18:09Stop.
18:10I'm not the one who needs to say sorry.
18:12You both know what is happening.
18:14You should have told me this sooner!
18:15I stared straight at them.
18:17In an instant, silence fell over the entire crowd.
18:20Dad rubbed the back of his neck.
18:23Honey, what are you talking about?
18:25You've been up for days.
18:27You're exhausted.
18:28Don't worry.
18:29Someone just went down to fix it.
18:31Power will be back soon.
18:38Welles, your daughter broke the circuit.
18:41You're going to apologize and that's it.
18:43My mom has diabetes.
18:45Her insulin was in the fridge.
18:47No power.
18:48She could have died.
18:48My grandmother's terrified.
18:51She almost had a stroke.
18:53You're paying for this.
18:54Mom and dad kept bowing, apologizing over and over.
18:58We'll cover all the compensation costs.
19:01Slap.
19:01A hand struck me hard across the face.
19:04I didn't even have time to blink.
19:06My brother had arrived.
19:07His face was twisted with rage.
19:09Willow Wells, you what the hell is wrong with you?
19:12You wrecked the house.
19:14You ruined our lives.
19:15And now you're going to cost us thousands.
19:18Happy now?
19:18This is what you wanted?
19:21We'll have to pay them all because of you.
19:24I touched my cheek.
19:26The handprint was unmistakable.
19:29I didn't want this.
19:33But I think you did.
19:35The moment those words left my mouth, my brother's face went ashen white.
19:38His eyes darted away and he stepped backward.
19:42God, Willow, what the hell are you talking about?
19:44He muttered.
19:47You've lost your mind.
19:48I grabbed his arm and tightened my grip.
19:51You've always wanted this apartment, haven't you?
19:54I said.
19:55Take it then.
19:57I'll transfer the deed to you right now.
19:59Every last trace of color drained from his face.
20:02Mom and dad rushed over immediately.
20:04Mom forcing a smile.
20:05Dad positioning himself between us.
20:07Willow, don't talk nonsense.
20:09Mom said.
20:10This apartment is yours, not your brother's.
20:13Dad nodded, trying to paper over the cracks with words.
20:16Don't worry about the money.
20:17We'll figure something out.
20:19I let out a cold laugh.
20:21I was about to speak again when footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
20:25Heavy footsteps.
20:26The police had arrived.
20:27They walked straight up to me.
20:30Willow Wells, we've received a report of malicious destruction of electrical infrastructure,
20:35along with intentional property damage.
20:37We need to bring you in for questioning.
20:39The neighbors erupted in cheers, clapping, chattering.
20:43She cut power to the whole building just because she had a problem with her own bill.
20:47She needs treatment or jail, maybe both.
20:50I turned to look at my parents and brother.
20:53All three of them exhaled with relief, as if the storm had finally found its problem.
20:57Then they froze, because the police had turned toward them too.
21:01You're her parents and brother, correct?
21:02You'll be coming with us as well.
21:04The hallway fell dead silent.
21:06Dad blinked.
21:07Officer, what have we done wrong?
21:08My brother jumped in before anyone else could speak.
21:11The apartment is hers.
21:12The bills are hers.
21:13She cut the power all by herself.
21:15What does any of this have to do with us?
21:16He spread his...
21:17You can't arrest innocent people.
21:18The neighbors immediately chimed in.
21:20She did it alone.
21:22Her family didn't cut the power.
21:24Arrest the girl, not them.
21:26The officer's mouth twitched.
21:28Let me be clear.
21:29He said.
21:30We're not bringing them in because of the blackout.
21:32He paused.
21:33We've also received a fraud report related to this apartment.
21:37Everyone involved needs to give a statement.
21:39The words hit the hallway like a bomb.
21:41Everyone exploded into chaos at once.
21:44Wait, what?
21:45Are you saying her family set her up?
21:48No way.
21:49Why would they do that?
21:51They were just offering to pay for everyone's damages.
21:54Mom and dad's faces went bloodless.
21:56My brother's expression was worse.
21:58He slammed his palm against the wall.
22:00What fraud?
22:01He shouted.
22:02I don't know anything about this.
22:06He scanned the crowd.
22:08This is all rumors.
22:09You can't arrest people over rumors.
22:11Dad turned to me.
22:12His voice calm.
22:13Willow.
22:14He said.
22:14Don't listen to any of this.
22:16You're our daughter.
22:18How could we possibly want to hurt you?
22:20The neighbors were swayed again.
22:22Yeah, that doesn't make sense.
22:23The money goes to the power company, not to the parents.
22:26If they wanted to hurt her, why would they buy her an apartment?
22:28Mom clasped her hands together and faced the officer.
22:31This has to be a misunderstanding.
22:33Can't you contact the person who filed the report?
22:36Ask them to withdraw it?
22:37Please don't put us through this.
22:39The officer shook his head.
22:41Mom frowned.
22:42Genuine confusion written all over her face.
22:45That was when I stepped forward, slowly, and looked at the three of them.
22:48I smiled.
22:49This report can't be withdrawn.
22:51I'm the one who filed it.
22:53I looked directly into my mother's eyes.
22:55And I will absolutely not withdraw it.
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